Plastic cap for attachment of snap fastener sockets and the like



Dec. 23, 1952 w. 1. JONES 2,622,299 PLASTIC CAP FOR ATTACHMENT OF SNAP FASTENER SOCKETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 26, 1947 FIG. 4.

v MI WALTER I. Jomzs:

Patented Dec. 23, 1952 E N EFECE PLASTIC CAP FOR ATTACHMENT OF SNAP FASTENEB" SOCKETS AND THE LIKE Application .l'ul'y 26, 1947, SerialNo. 763,861-

Claims.

This invention relates to improvementsin fastenersof the type generally used on flexible materials such as clothing, leather goods and the like and in the specific disclosure is directed particularly to a socket member constructed toprovide a socket piece having a yieldable stud-engaging entrance surrounded by a flange on one side of the material to which the member is to be attached and a cap part on the other side of the material operating to fasten the cap part to the socket piece and to the material.

The cap part, which is the main subject of my present application, is distinguishable from known cap members by providing a part formed of plastic material. This plastic construction presents several advantages over metal materials previously used in that it not only permits unlimited opportunity for use of novel and attractive colors and designs on the exterior of the carrying material as distinguished from the more limited effects provided by metal caps, but also results in certain new and useful mechanical'improvements not before known.

Thus having reference to the accompanying. drawing and the detailed description of the: invention as set out in the specification below, it will be seen that the cap member, as a result of the flexible characteristics of its plastic construction, is capable of expansion and contraction withthesocket piece during engagement of a stud head with the socket piece thereby permitting. a smooth and natural fastener action which eliminates the danger of so-called setting of the socket piece, afailure often effected'in the former metal cap assemblies. Also, the plastic cap is constructed in a novel way to provide a sufiicient thickness of material at its closed top portion to allow the stud-engaging sections of the socket piece to be expanded within the cap by end pressure against the cap top portion without bulging or disfiguring the outer surface of the top portion, and at the same time, to have an inwardly extending wall on the under side-of the cap of less thickness thanthe top permitting the wall to yield with the flexible stud-engaging, sections of thesocket pieceduring engagement of a stud therewith.

Another advantage is the fact that I provide a one-piece plastic cap without metal support as against previous caps which were assemblies of sheet plastic with one or more metal pieces. Alsomy improved cap retains its color with wear, whereas painted metal caps wear down to the metal quite rapidly and become unsightly.

Referring to the drawing in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. l is a sectional view of the cap part of my improved cap part showing the form in which it is preferably originally molded;

Fig. 2 is a. sectional view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the cap part after a secondary operation to form a cavity to receive a socket piece Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap part shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section representing the cap material and socket piece in position prior to being secured in attached assembly;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the partsin. attached assembly with the carrying material,

and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to my preferred form of fastener member most clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5' of the. drawing, I have shown a socketv piece I which maybe of well-known construction secured in attached relation to a piece of supportingmaterial 2 by means of a novel cap part 3. The cap part 3 is made of plastic material initially formed in a mold into the shape shown in. Fig; 1 wherein the cap provides a top portion 4 and. an annular wall portion 5 extending beneath the top. portion 4' insubstantially' normal relation to the general plane of the top portion. It will be noted that the top portion 4 has a thickness which is greater than the wall portion 5 for purposes to be described more fully hereinbelow. Prior to assembly of the parts of the fastener member the cap'3 is subjected toa secondary operation wherein by pressure and preferably the'employment' of heat, the annular wall 5 is pressed inwardly so that portionsof thesame underlie the inner surface 6 of the top portion 4 to form a divergent Walled cavity 1. The lower ends 8 of. the wall" 5 define an entrance 9 into the cavity 1 for a purpose to be described.

The socket piece I in initial tubular shape illustrated in Fig. 4, comprises a numberof flexible sections It which are connected at one endb'y' a connecting ortion H. The sections Ni define at their. other. end a yielding stud-receiving entrance l2, and. each of the sections lllhasa laterally extending flange element [3 adjacent the studreceiving. entrance. When the parts of the fastener are". in final secured assembly with the supporti}, the side edges M. of the'flange elements 13- substantiallyabut to form a substantially continuous flange as shown in Fig. 6. Other well known types of sockets may be used as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

To secure the socket piece in assembly with the support, the socket piece is mounted in a die (not shown) and the sections are extended through an opening in a support 2, as shown in Fig. 4. The cap part 3 is also secured in a die (not shown) and as one die is moved toward the other, the connecting portion H of the socket piece is forced against the inner surface 6 of the top portion 4 of the cap 3. As pressure is continued, the sections ii] of the socket piece are transformed from their generally tubular shape, shown in Fig. 4, into their finished or bulged shape, shown in Fig. 5 due to the presence of a circumferentially weakened area I! adjacent the closed end i I, as by reducing the width of the segments ill. As the sections, as a result of the end pressure applied by the socket piece and cap moving into abutment, are bent or folded outwardly a flange is formed upon one side of the supporting material 2 and a stud-receiving enlargement is established within the cavity 1 of the cap part 3. It is apparent that the inner surface 6 of the top part 4 of the cap operates substantially as an anvil during the action by which the sections I!) of the socket piece are folded outwardly. The pressure of the socket piece against the to 4 during this action is such that unless the top art 4 of the cap part is formed of sufficient thickness, the top part will be deformed or pressed outwardly with the result that an unattractive bulge or protuberance will be formed on the outer visible surface of the cap part. Consequently, in my preferred device I desire to have the top portion 4 of sumcient thickness to withstand the end forces exerted upon it during collapsing of the socket piece.

It will thus be seen that when the socket piece is in final collapsing attachment within the cavity 1 of the cap part that the yielding sections Iii of the socket piece lap upon the inner surface l6 of the wall 5, as most clearly shown in Fig, 5, and preferably substantially follow the contour of the inner surfaces of the top portion 4 andwall 5 which define the cavity 1. By this development the cap is locked to the socket piece and also to .the material. The. stud-receiving entrance l2 of the socket piece is normally of smaller diameter than a cooperating stud head (not shown) with the result that passage of the stud head through the entrance causes the yieldable sections is to expand and after the stud head has been moved a predetermined distance through the entrance to contract and resiliently engage the stud head in a manner Well known to those skilled in the art. In fastener members of known construction wherein the cap part was formed of metal, the metal wall corresponding to the wall 5 was incapable of expansion and contraction with the flexible sections of the socket piece with the result that the sections had a tendency to setin expanded positions thereby varying the resiliency of the socket piece. With the plastic cap part to which my preferred invention is directed the inherent resiliencyof the wall portion 5, which is formed of predetermined thickness to insure such resiliency, permits the wall portion, which in my preferred form is in abutting engagement with the yieldable sections 10, to flex outwardly with the sections In during expansion of the sections while the stud is being moved into engagement therewith and to contract with the sections In as they engage the 4 stud head. This inherent flexibility of the plastic wall 5 permits a uniform and continuous flexibility of the socket piece with the result that the fastener action remains constant after repeated engagement and disengagement of the stud and socket member.

Thus I have provided a simple, inexpensive cap part that has many uses and will replace more expensive assemblies.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An attaching cap for assembling a snap fastener part to a support, said cap being formed of plastic material and providing a one piece structure free of any metal part and having a top portion and an inwardly extending resilient slanting wall under said top portion and terminating at a metal free opening to provide an expansible divergent walled cavity to receive a portion of the snap fastener part when expanded within said cap.

2. A cap member adapted to serve as a covering and as a means for attaching a sheet metal snap fastener part to a supporting material, consisting of a cup-shaped one-piece metal-free body of moldable plastic material having a top portion and an inwardly converging peripheral resilient flange providing a preformed divergent walled cavity within the body and within which a sheet metal fastener part may be upset and expanded into direct and intimate contact with the plastic walls of said cavity, the top portion of said body being of greater thickness than said peripheral flange to resist deformation when subjected to pressure to upset a sheet metal socket part within said cavity.

3. A snap fastener socket member consisting of a plastic cap part and a sheet metal socket fastener part, said plastic cap part having a base portion and an inwardly extending flexible Wall on its under surface forming a divergent walled cavity having a reduced neck, said sheet metal socket fastener part comprising a split resilient body portion upset and expanded within said cavity to provide an expansible stud-receiving pocket, said flexible wall being capable of expansion and contraction when a stud member is moved into or out of said stud-receiving pocket.

4, A snap fastener socket member consisting of a plastic cap part and a sheet metal socket fastener part, said plastic cap part having a base portion and an inwardly extending flexible wall on its under surface forming a divergent walled cavity having a reduced neck, said sheet metal socket fastener part comprising a sheet metal shank having a plurality of separate sections upset and expanded within said cavity and said reduced neck to provide an expansible stud-receiving pocket, said flexible wall being capable of expansion and contraction when a stud, member is moved into or out of said stud-receiving pocket, and an outwardly extending supportgripping flange integral with an end of said shank.

5. A snap fastener socket member consisting of a plastic cap part and a sheet metal socket fastener part, said plastic cap part having a base portion and an inwardly extending flexible wall on its under surface forming a divergent walled cavity having'a reduced neck, said sheet metal socket fastener part comprising a sheet metal shank having a. closed end, an opposite open end and an intermediate body portion, said body portion having a plurality of circumferentially weakened areas, the material between said areas being upset and expanded within said cavity and said reduced neck to provide an expansible studreceiving pocket, the top portion of said body being of sufiicient thickness to resist deformation vVhen subjected to pressure to upset a sheet metal socket part within said cavity.

WALTER I. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 449,940 La Dow Apr. 7, 1891 707,054 Dowse Aug. 12, 1902 1,053,960 Fiirstenau Feb. 18, 1913 1,283,081 Cohn et a1 Oct. 29, 1918 1,801,905 Dews -1 Apr. 21, 1931 2,256,849 Purinton Sept. 23, 1941 

